Automatic vehicle-brake.



G. E. GRUMM. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE. APPLmATION FILED MAY 18, 1909.

Patented Nuv. 23,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

6? VENT'OR WITNESSES 0. E. GBUMM. AUTOMATIC VEHIGLE BRAKE;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1909. 941,063. Patented-M123, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES E. CRUMM, OF ANUTT, MISSOURI.

AUTODTATIC VEHICLE-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed May 18, 1909. Serial No. 496,686.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. CRUMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anutt, in the county of Dent and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Vehiclel3rakes, of which the following is a speci fication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic brakes for wagons and other vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical automatic brake mechanism of this character in which the brake will be held applied by a spring and released whenever the draft animals pull the vehicle in a forward direction.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the running gear of a vehicle illustrating the application of the invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a. detail view on an enlarged scale of the toggle levers; and Fig. l is a detail transverse section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-1 in Fig. 3.

In the drawings 1 denotes the reach bar, and 3 the front and rear axles, and 41 the tongue of a wagon or similar vehicle.

denotes a transverse brake beam loosely hung over the reach bar 1 for forward and rearward movement and having at its ends shoes to engage the rear wheels 6.

7 denotes a stiff coiled spring having one end adjustably connected as shown at S, to the rear axle and its other end connected to the center of the brake beam which latter also has secured upon its center a pulley or sheave 8 for a steel cable or similar flexible element 9. This cable passes around the sheave S which is horizontally disposed and its forwardly extending ends pass through guide eyes 10 formed by bending the ends of a guide strap 11 which is disposed transversely onthe front end of the reach bar or pole 1 and secured thereon by bolts or similar fastenings 12, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The forward ends of the cable 9 are attached to the outer ends of two crossed levers 13 which are pivoted intermediate their ends as shown at 14, to a wear plate 15 on the top of the rear end of the tongue 1 and which have their other ends connected by links 16 to the short rear ends of two crossed levers 17. The long forwardly and outwardly extending ends 18 of the levers 17 project through and are loosely arranged in eyes 19 on the ends of the rear edge of a double tree 20, said eyes 19 being preferably the eyes of eye-bolts arranged in the doubletree, shown in F ig. 3 of the drawings. The double-tree 20 is adapted to have in addition to its usual swinging movement, sliding movement longitudinally of the tongue at, such sliding movement being preferably effected by providing a forwardly projecting loop 21 on the center of the front edge of the double-tree for the reception of a vertical pivot 22 which rises from the top of the tongue. Said loop 21 is preferably formed by bending a metal strap in the shape clearly shown in Fig. 3, its oppositely projecting extremities being secured to the double-tree by bolts or similar fastenings 23.

On the front end of the guide loop 21 is a hook 21 to which is connected one end of a chain or the like 25. The other end of the chain 25 is connected to the intermediate portion of a brake retracting lever 26 which is pivoted at its lower or rear end, shown at 27, on the top of the tongue at and which swings in a slotted guide bracket 28. \Vhen the lever 26 is swung downwardly and for wardly upon the tongue the brake beam 5 will be drawn away from the wheel (5 against the tension of the spring '7 and the brake may be secured in this retracted or released position by fastening the lever 2-5 in its lowered position by means of a suitable pawl and ratchet device 29.

In operation the spring 7 applies the brake whenever the animals cease to pull the vehicle and hence the brake is automatically applied when the vehicle is not in motion. \Vhen the animals pull forwardly on the double-tree 20 the latter draws upon the toggle levers and links 17, 16, 13 and the latter draw the cable 9 forwardly to retractthe brake beam 5 against the tension of the spring 7 lVhen desired the brake beam may be locked in its retracted position by swinging the lever 26 downwardly and securing it by the catch 29, as above explained.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides an exceedingly simple and practical automatic brake for wagons and other vehicles; that its simple construction permits it to be produced and applied to ordinary vehicles at a small cost and renders it strong and durable in use; and that its peculiar construction and arrangement of the toggle links and levers renders it exceedingly easy in operation.

Having thus described the invention, is claimed is:

1. The combination with the running gear of a vehicle, of a spring applied brake, a slidably arranged draft-tree having eyes at its ends, a pair of crossed levers pivoted intermediate their ends and having long arms to loosely engage said eyes, and connections between theshort arms of said levers and the brake mechanism.

2. The combination with the running gear what of a vehicle, of a spring applied brake, a slidably arranged draft-tree having eyes at its ends, a pair of crossed levers pivoted intermediate their ends and having long arms to loosely engage said eyes, a second pair of crossed levers pivoted intermediate their ends, links connecting the last mentioned levers to the short arms of the first mentioned levers, a flexible element connecting the brake mechanism with the other ends of the second mentioned levers, and guides for said element.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. CHARLES E. CRUMM. Witnesses:

HERBERT A. CAPPS, H. A. FRANK. 

